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CURTIS.

' HEDGE TRIMMER. No. 289,074. Patented Nov. Z7, 1883.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

MARTIN M. CURTIS, OF ST. CLOUD, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CLAREXCE E. SEELY, OF SAME PLACE.

HEDGE-TRlMMER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 289,674, dated November 2'7, 188 Application filed July 9, 1883. (No model.)

To all whcnt it may concern.-

Be it known that I, llIARTIN M. CURTIS. a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Cloud, in the county of Stearns and State of 5 Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hedge-Trimming Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, in which- IO Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of a frame carrying the gear-shafts and cutter-shaft. Fig. 3 isa top view of the cutters. Fig. a is a perspective view of a portion of one of the driving-wheels, showing the removable cogs or shoes secured thereto.

My invention relates to improvemcntsjn hedge-trinnnin g machines in which knives operatedv through the driving mechanism are adapted to trim at one operation the top and sides of live hedges; and the objects of my improvements are to construct alight machine adapted to be attached to a common wagon,

2 5 and to provideit with revolving blades to trim both sides and also the top of a hedge at any desired height.

The invention will first be described, and then specifically pointed out in the claims.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throu ghont the several views.

The frame A is composed of two sills united zit-each end and at other intermediate points. it is supported on four wheels, B. The rear wheels havesprochet wheels orriins B secured to the inside of their spokes by means of clips I). From these sprocket-wh eels power is transmitted by means of chains 1) to small sprocle eta-wheels e, mounted loosely upon each end 0 of the shaft 0. This shaft carries adjacent to each sprocket-wheel c, and secured to the latter, a cog-wheel, D, that gears with a pinion, c, on the cuttershaft E. The shafts C and E are carried in bearings c and e, and the hit 5 ter are guided by the segmental frames A, said frames being slotted for that purpose. The slot is in the arc of a circle having the axis of the main wheel B as its center. The

shafts C and E are retained at a suitable distance apart for the cog-wheel D and pinion e to remain in gear by means of connecting-rods 0", having at their upper end a collar, 0, surrounding the shaft E, and their lower end connected with a crank, f, at the end of a short shaft, f, carried by straps f-, secured to a plank, c", bolted to the bearings c. The straps f" also pass around the shaft 0 and secure it immovably, as it is found preferable that said shaft should not revolve. A partial rotation can be given to the shaft f by means of a latch-lever, f, secured to said shaft, and

having its latch adapted to come into engage- .ment with the ratchet-ed segment f", secured to the top of the plank 0". hen the cogwheels D are in gear with their pinions e, the cranks f are occupying their lowest position; but when it is desired to disconnect said cogwheels and pinions to arrest the revolution of the cutters, the cranks f are elevated by partly rotating their shaftf by means of the latchlever f.

To elevate both shafts O and E and their bearin gs together, as when it is desired to trim ahedge at a greater height, the shaft 0 rests upon thesides of a v ertically-adj ustable frame, F, pivoted at one end to standards a, secured upon the sills A of the wagon-frame; These standards are provided with a series of holes,

journal of the frame F at any The opposite end is provided that is made to pass over the grooved or concaved end of the post A, secured vertically to one of the transverse bars of the frame A of the wagon. The free end of the chain is made to engage with a hook se- 8 5 cured to a lever, G, pivoted to the post at a. This post is also provided with a ratcheted segment, (1 to receive the latch g of the lever G. The frame F is sufficiently narrow to pass vertically between the sills of the frame A, and can, by the means above described, be elevated or lowered to adjust thecutter-shaft at any desired height. The upper ends of the segmental frames are provided withibraces A to support them rearwardly.

The revolving cutters of the machine are mounted upon one end of the shaft E, so as to project a sufficient distance beyond the side of the wagon and its supporting-wheels while they are advancing along the side of 100 a, to receivethe desired height. with a chain, 9,

the hedge to be trimmed. Two kinds of cutters are used. The middle cutter, H, to trim the top of the hedge,'is composed of a series of fiat blades, h, about four feet long, spirally arranged, and secured near their ends (see Fig. 3) to disk h, secured to the shaft.

The cutters used to trim the sides of the hedge are composed of flat blades 71?, secured at their inner ends to disks h, mounted adjustably upon the shaft E, so that the sides of the hedge can be trimmed to any desired width. 011 the opposite end of the shaft E, to which the cutters are secured, is placed a fly-wheel, E to partly counterbalance said cutters and increase their momentum while revolving. To remove the hedge-cuttings left upon the top of the hedge, the machine is provided with arevol'ving rake, I, carried at the lower end of a vertical shaft, 2'. This shaft passes through suitable bearings secured to arms K, capable of being adjusted vertically and a sufficient distance from the side of a post, K, secured upon the rear end of the frame A. This post is slotted vertically to receive the inner end of the arms K, and pins or bolts 76, passing through said inner end and through one of the series of holes in the post K, permit the rake to be kept elevated even with the top of the trimmed hedge, whatever may be the height of the lat ter. To revolve this rake the upper end of the shaft is provided with a bevel-gear, i that meshes with a pinion, i mounted upon a short shaft, 1'', passing through bearings k", secured to the upper arm, K, carrying the rakeshaft. Upon the shaft '5" is also secured a sprocket-whee1, 22", that receives an endless chain, i, passing also around a sprocketwheel, 6, secured to the cutter-shaft E, from which motion is thus transmitted to the rake.

Upon the chain i rests a belt-tightenin g roller, i mounted at the end of an arm, '5 hinged to the inner end of the upper rake-supporting arm, K.

The tires of the driving-wheels B are provided with removable cogs or shoes If, to increase their hold upon the ground. They are secured by means of clips 11, passing around the fellies of the wheels, and bolts 1) uniting lugs projecting from said shoes and clips.

Vhen it is desired to trim a hedge, the machine is driven along the side thereof. The disks 71?, carrying the blades h, are secured upon the shaft E at a distance from each other equal to the width intended *for the fence. The height of the shaft 0 and E is regulated by means of the pivoted frame F and lever G, and the pinions 0 upon the cutter-shaft are placed in gear with the cog-wheels Dby means of the lever f lowering the crank f upon its pivot-shaft and holding said cog-wheel and pinion in gear, (by means of the connectingrods eand the latch upon the lever f.) The machine is then in conditionto operate.

I am aware that reciprocating sickle-sections similar to ordinary mower-knives have been used in combination with vertical blades to trim the sides and top of hedges; that rake mechanisms have been used in connection with said machines, and that flat blades mounted spirally upon disks have been used in the construction of lawn-mowers. I therefore do not claim these devices, broadly.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of supporting and driving wheels, sprocket-rims secured to the latter, avertical adjustable shaft, 0, having sprocketwheels 0, and cog-Wheels D, with revolving cutter H, its shaft and pinions, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination of the frame A, slotted segmental frames A secured thereto, drivingshaft 0 and cutter-shaft E, and gears upon said shafts,with journal-bearings c 6, adapted to slide upon the segmental frames, and means for connecting and disconnecting the gears, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the supportingframes, slotted segmental frames A, secured thereto, journal-bearings 0, plank 0 secured thereto, straps attached to said plank, and

crank-shaft with shaft E, its collars, and connecting-rods 12', substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination of the supportingframe and its posts a and A with frame F, pivoted at one end to the posts a, chain 9 at the other end, latch-lever G, and serrated segment a, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination of the cutter-shaft E, provided with disks, and spiral blades h, and sprocket-wheel 6 with revolving rake I, its operating-gear, sprocket-wheel t and chain 43, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination of the supporting,

frame, slotted post K on the rear end thereof, horizontal arm K, adjustable vertically upon said posts, rake-shaft i, its gear 1" and pinion 1*, with sprocket-wheel and chain connected with sprocket-wheel upon the revolving cuttershaft, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. MARTIN M. CURTIS. XVitnesses:

J. H. MCOARTY, O. C. ARNOLD. 

